PORSCHE AND LE MANS

I gave up reading the F1 obsessed motorsport press some time ago, so it was only through 911&PW that I learnt that Porsche was pulling out of the World Endurance Championship in favour of Formula E. My reaction? Indifference I guess. Well, certainly indifference to the WEC decision, but as for Formula E...

Sports cars first. I can't be the only person that failed to get excited about the LMP1 919 or indeed its Audi and Toyota rivals. And I can't be the only one who could barely tell them all apart with their broadly similar liveries. Racing cars should excite and inspire, but the high tech marvels did very little for me, and if a race car fails to inspire fans, then really what is the point. But, of course, the point, as eloquently put in your pages, is marketing. Porsche wanted to push its hybrid technology in its traditional sports car arena. We should have been excited at the return of Porsche to the top tier of sports car racing, but it was all just too contrived, cynical even.

I don't blame them for pulling out of the WEC. With Audi gone and only Toyota to race against what's the point, and anyway, three Le Man victories on the bounce is mission accomplished. But Formula E? I mean c'mon, talk about jumping on the marketing bandwagon. Yes, it fits in with the electro future of the company, but where's the excitement and the passion? And which bland plug in drivers are they going to install? Actually, does it really matter. A Duracell bunny would do.

But wait, I gather (thanks again 911&PW) there might be some light at the end of the tunnel with an F1 return in 2020. Really? Well perhaps Porsche could have some input into shaping the rules for the new F1 engine regs. After all they've made some crackers in their time. I recommend something with twelve cylinders, perhaps horizontally opposed and extremely noisy. Nah, that will never catch on! James Travis, via email